2 weeks until the TCS NYC Marathon and I’ve got a cold!

The New York City Marathon is right around the corner. The 2 week countdown is on . . .

Sniffle, sniffle, cough, cough.

Ugh. I have spent the past week trying to avoid the nasty upper respiratory infection that has been plaguing my kids. Their coughing kept them up a lot during the night this week and they had a much needed day off from school. Their illness called for a lot of extra TLC, late night back rubbing and extra snuggles which kept me in close proximity to the germ zone. Now with 2 weeks to go until the New York City Marathon I am worried that I may have picked up this “bug.” In addition to being snuggled up with two sick kiddos at home this weekend we spent Saturday standing around in the cold rain at my daughters Halloween Cup Soccer Tournament. While I loved watching the game I had a hard time shaking the chill once we left the tournament.

The trouble with marathon training when you are at your peak is that your body becomes depleted and your immune system can get bogged down. This morning I woke up feeling off. I had a mild headache and body aches throughout the day and a little cough is developing. I was supposed to run 16 miles today but decided to forgo the run because of the way I am feeling and also because for the second day in a row it has been in the 30’s and 40’s and raining (some places at higher elevations near us even got snow). My goal at this point with marathon race day so close is to get my body to 100% health and to not get any sicker. In the past I would have just run through it but with the marathon being so close I don’t want to take any chances. Hopefully some extra rest, some solid nutrition and hydration will do the trick and I will avoid developing the cough that has been keeping my kids up at night.

What can you do if you get sick during marathon training?

1. Rest, rest and more rest. It is ok to take time off. You may prolong your illness if you overdo it.
2. Don’t worry if you missed a workout or two. Trying to make up the training that was missed can also make illness last longer.
3. Worry not, your fitness won’t slip away that quickly even though you may convince yourself that it is. Gradually increase your training load once you are healthy again. (More tips for returning to marathon training from Competitor.com)
4. Keep your fingers crossed that your illness stays “above the neck.” Illness that moves into your chest can take longer to recover from and you definitely should not just run through it!
5. Hydrate plenty and be sure to be eating plenty of healthy immune boosting foods!

What do you do when you start getting sick and have a goal race coming up? Do you run through it or take extra rest days?